[--Kaiser Volkov--]Why is this evil man here?I rub my head again, trying to chase away the dull ache despite the aspirin I already took. The tension sits there, refusing to ease. “Kaiser, why is the woman you’re fated to, and desperately in love with, living with you?”Damn. I shouldn’t have told him that part. Five years of therapy, and he’s managed to work his way through my defenses, pulling things out bit by bit. He’s a good therapist, I’ll give him that, but I never planned on opening up about this. Hell, I don’t want to share these issues with anyone.“She needs a place to stay. My family ruined her life. She has twins... what did you expect me to do?”He hums, as if satisfied with my explanation, but I can see the wheels turning in his head. I hate that. “Was she married?”I finally look up from my hands, giving him a stare sharp enough to cut through the silence. “I guess. Forced.”“But legally binding, right? So, if your family were to find her, would they even let her get d
[--Esmarie Cruz--]Doctor Jacob heads down the stairs, his feet dragging like lead, and I catch a glimpse of him from the kitchen. He looks beyond exhausted, worn out by the weight of whatever news he’s carrying. The lines on his face are deeper than usual, his shoulders slumped like the world is pressing down on him. I stop stirring the pot on the stove and step toward him before he can make it to the door. Something is wrong, and my gut is twisting into knots.“How’s Kaiser?” I ask, my voice barely hiding the worry.Jacob lets out a deep sigh, the kind that says more than words ever could. His hand lifts to rub the back of his neck, as if trying to work out a kink that’s been there far too long. “Just my advice,” he starts, his tone careful, deliberate, “but what exactly has Kai told you about his past?”I swallow hard. “Nothing, really. I mean, I know enough. He was suffering when we were younger, facing abuse while we were friends. I could see it. His family... well, the way they
[--Esmarie Cruz--]After Kaiser took his meds, I noticed a change immediately. He seemed to slip into a docile, almost hollow version of himself as if the medication had dulled every sharp edge of his being. I couldn't help but assume the second medication—whatever it was—had something to do with depression. God knows, Kaiser needed it. Hell, we all probably did at this point.I helped him to his feet, guiding him down the hall to his bedroom. His movements were sluggish, almost mechanical like he was following my lead without being fully present. When I tucked him into bed, he didn’t drift off immediately. His eyes, empty and distant, shifted between me and the ceiling above. It was unnerving, to see him so vacant. Kaiser was always intense, even when he wasn’t talking, there was always this storm brewing behind his gaze. But now? Now he was just…gone.Fuck, meds scare me. Everything scares me.Eventually, his breathing evened out, and he fell asleep. I stood there for a moment longe
[--Esmarie Cruz--]Martha lingered in the kitchen with me, her hands moving with the easy grace of someone who had done this a thousand times, and yet there was something undeniably warm about her presence. She chopped, stirred, and mixed with calm precision, her eyes occasionally darting up to meet mine, offering a small, encouraging smile. The kitchen filled with the comforting aromas of spices, garlic, and simmering herbs, each scent like a balm, bringing a sense of grounding that I so desperately needed. I tried to focus on the task, on slicing vegetables and stirring the broth just right, letting the familiar rhythm of cooking distract me, if only for a moment.As we worked, the conversation was light, almost aimless. Martha told me a story about her sister’s garden, about the lavender and rosemary she had planted, and how they flourished under her care. I smiled, trying to picture it—the delicate rows of purple blossoms, the strong scent of herbs wafting in the air. For a short
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I’m drowning in darkness, held in its vice-like grip, a weight pressing in from all sides. The air is thick and heavy, each breath a struggle that brings only more despair instead of relief. It’s as though I’m caught in some endless, inky void, with shadows clawing at me, pulling me deeper, binding me tighter. I can hear voices, distant and distorted, like whispers floating through the fog, just beyond reach. I try to make out their words, but they slip away like sand through my fingers, leaving only fragments—broken, mocking echoes that tear through my mind.My head pulses with a dull ache, a rhythm that matches the frantic beating of my heart, which pounds hard enough that I can feel it reverberating through every cell, every nerve. It’s a familiar pain, an old hurt I thought I’d buried, one I thought I’d left far behind. But here it is again, rising up from the depths like some vengeful ghost, and I can’t escape it. I was doing better. I’d convinced myself I was
[--Kaiser Volkov--]Esmarie is in my bed.My mind stumbles over that fact as I feel her body pressed against mine, soft and warm, her breath steady and peaceful. Her head is tucked into my chest, her hair brushing my neck. I’m not used to this—not used to waking up with someone like this. Someone in my bedroom. I keep it as a safe space for myself, and myself alone. It’s too close, too intimate, and my heart pounds faster in my chest, betraying me. I don’t even remember falling asleep, much less how we ended up here like this. My arms are wrapped around her, holding her tightly as if my subconscious has been craving this closeness. But why? Why are we here, together, like this?I try to shake her gently, just enough to startle her awake. I need her to wake up because if she wakes up, then maybe this strange sense of comfort I’m feeling will break. Maybe reality will snap back into place. But she only mumbles something incoherent and shifts, snuggling deeper into my chest, her fingers
[--Esmarie Cruz--]I’m startled awake by the sound of groaning, small wails breaking through the quiet of the night. At first, my instinct is to think it’s one of the twins—maybe one of them stirred from a bad dream, or they’re hungry—but it’s not them. My maternal instincts kick in, and I’m halfway out of bed before I realize it’s not coming from the nursery downstairs.It’s Kaiser.His muffled, strained sounds send a jolt of panic through me. He’s somewhere in the room, his voice low and ragged, like he’s fighting off some invisible demon. I fumble in the dark, trying to make sense of what’s happening. Then I hear something else—a small thud. Something shattered.My heart races, adrenaline kicking in. Without thinking, I rush to the ground, finding him crouched beside the bed, knees drawn to his chest. His phone is shattered into pieces on the floor. What the hell happened?“Kaiser!” I reach for him instinctively, wanting to comfort him, to pull him into my arms and figure out what’
[--Esmarie Cruz--]I reached around Kaiser for his phone, my fingers trembling slightly as I grasped it from the shattered pieces on the floor. It was my final attempt to get him to snap back to normal. The screen—thank god—was still working, though cracks spider-webbed across it, distorting the image. My heart raced as I unlocked it, praying that what I was about to do would give him the reassurance he needed. Kaiser was spiraling, trapped in his mind, and I had to pull him out of that dark place.Carefully, I navigated through his contacts until I found the name: Will. Kaiser's beta. The man he swore was real, even as the doubts clawed at him. I called the number, holding Kaiser close, his body shaking against mine as he mumbled incoherently, lost in his fear and self-doubt.The phone rang. Once, twice. My breath caught in my throat as I waited, praying that this would help, that hearing Will’s voice would pull him back from the edge.On the third ring, a voice answered—steady, calm
[--Kaiser Volkov--]“We need to talk, martha. It’s important.”Martha looked at me, her brows furrowing with worry, the lines on her face deepening as though they carried the weight of years past. She had always been my anchor, the one who kept me tethered when the rest of the world felt like a storm trying to drown me. But this conversation, this moment, was inevitable. I couldn't avoid it any longer, even if it felt like cutting through something sacred between us.I inhaled deeply, steadying my voice. "Martha, you’ve always been there for me when no one else would. When everyone else turned their backs, you opened your arms. You gave me a home when all I had was fear. You gave me hope when my own family left me with nothing but scars—on my body and in my mind." My throat tightened as I spoke, but I pressed on. "I owe you so much, and I’ll never forget that. But right now, I need your complete honesty."She straightened in her chair, her hands clasped tightly together, as if bracing
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I drove down the familiar streets that led to the heart of the festival grounds, my thoughts swirling as I gripped the steering wheel. The early morning light filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the pavement. The events of last night lingered in my mind, a weight pressing down on my chest. The attack had shaken everyone, and I couldn’t blame them. But today, I had a responsibility to remind them of our resilience, our strength as a pack. This festival meant more than just celebration; it was a symbol of unity. Still, there was another matter pulling at my focus. I needed to speak with Martha. She should be at her booth by now, setting up like she always did, rain or shine, crisis or calm.As I approached the festival grounds, the sight before me gave me pause. Despite the lingering fear, the area was bustling. Booths were being set up, vendors were unloading their wares, and people moved with a mixture of determination and unease. It was quieter
[--Esmarie Cruz--]After dropping us off at the house, Kaiser barely paused before rushing through his usual post-mission routine. He took a quick shower, his footsteps echoing through the hallway as he hurried to get dressed. Within minutes, he was out the door again after giving me a kiss to the cheek, muttering something about “cleaning up loose ends” before disappearing into the early morning haze. I didn’t press for details, partly because I knew he wouldn’t offer any and partly because my own thoughts were already spinning with plans of my own.I turned my attention to the twins, who had been unusually fussy since the chaos of the day before. The attack at the festival had left us all shaken, and while they were too young to understand what had happened, they could sense my tension. I scooped them up one at a time, changing their diapers and dressing them in soft, matching onesies. Their tiny giggles and occasional protests grounded me in the moment, offering a brief reprieve fr
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I spent the entire night in the office with Esmarie and the twins. We’d set up a little makeshift haven amidst the chaos of paperwork and a space I usually reserved for stress and solitude. But somehow, with them here, the room felt different—warmer, alive, and strange in a way I couldn't yet put into words. The twins had dozed off in their little portable cribs, Esmarie curled up on the couch, her face softened by sleep. I sat at my desk long after they'd drifted off, trying to make sense of everything in my life that led to this moment.When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the quiet hum of morning light filtering through the window blinds, painting everything in muted golds and grays. Then I heard them—the soft, bubbly sounds of the twins babbling to each other. It was like their own secret language, words that only they understood. I turned to see them wide-eyed, tiny fists waving as if they were solving the mysteries of the universe.And when they saw
[--Kaiser Volkov--]The website was set up as a front to buy cupcakes, but they didn’t hide anything. The moment you scroll through the first page, you can immediately find a tag asking if you want information about me. There’s a place to leave reviews. I didn’t leave one; I know a good hacker. Unfortunately, that person happens to be Sam. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to talk to her again.I chucked that conversation up to tomorrow and brought my attention back to Elias. I rubbed my face, my head pounded. What else can I say to him? I want to hit him, over and over again, until there’s nothing left of him but a pile of pulp on the floor.“Get comfortable, boys. You’ll be sleeping here throughout the night.” I gave them my best smile before waving goodbye and leaving the room. They were still tied to the chairs, so this would be an uncomfortable night for them.With nothing else to do, I went up the stairs to my office. As expected, esmarie was wide awake. I should have asked her some
[--Kaiser Volkov--]I was pissed, I don’t think I can even explain what being pissed means. Someone is dying tonight. No, no, that is the wrong mentality. I pulled on the spare clothes Will had brought on and told him to go with Jackson to the hospital. That man did a good job defending the pack, so it is me... and some of the wolves who drove Elias and his men here.I had to count to sixteen to remind myself that violence is never the first option. Yup, that’s as far as my mind can go. I headed into the room where they were being held. I know Will is not happy with how bruised Jackson was but he looks alot better than these fuckers. I actually felt like I was about to laugh.“Give us some alone time, boys. Go back to your wives. Enjoy the rest of the precious festival. Then vet the whole place and everyone. I’m gonna find out how they got in here even if it means I murder a Domeros.”Elias cut me a glare but I wasn’t fazed by that stupid attempt to threaten me. The alphas didn’t argu
[--Esmarie Cruz--]I kept myself firmly between the two massive wolves, feeling the weight of their power pressing against the air. The energy crackled, sharp and threatening, like the moments before a storm unleashes.“Elias,” I said, my voice steady despite the adrenaline racing through me, “you’re breaking the rules. You don’t step into another alpha’s territory without permission. So, here’s the deal—I need you to tell your men to stand down, right now, before Kaiser humiliates you by making you the newest bitch on the block.”Elias’s wolf froze, his molten gaze locked on me, calculating. The sharpness of his fangs glinted in the moonlight as his lips twitched into something between a snarl and a grin. It was clear he was considering my words, and weighing his options, but he was taking too long.The sound of approaching paws thundered through the clearing as more wolves arrived, their growls low and steady. The festival, after all, had drawn in more wolves than this territory had
[--Esmarie Cruz--]I made a split-second decision since none of the options in my head sounded right. I pulled out my cellphone, and quickly took a video of the Elias lookalike while he was still distracted before ducking into the nearest booth. Which turned out to be a photo booth, with a long curtain so thank goodness.I texted Kaiser the picture then I waited for him to call me. After five minutes I peeked out between the curtains. The Elias guy was still there. Looking at everyone. I took a photo before he could turn his head, then I ducked back in. This time I dialed kaiser.He’s a busy guy, I can’t expect him to look at every notification he gets.“I just saw your message. What the fuck is Elias doing in my fucking pack?”“I... don’t know,” I whispered.“I texted Jackson, he’s nearby. He will handle it. Where are you?”“I’m at a photo booth.”“Jackson will get you once Elias has been brought to me. Stay where you are. Don’t move an inch.”“Okay.”Kaiser hung up, leaving me in th
[--Esmarie Cruz--]The next few days of the festival went by quicker than I expected. The end of the first week was exciting, and I even won one of their games. I won two unicorn teddy bears for my children, the amount of freedom I felt being here was enough to silence the the nightmares that normally plagued my mind.And Kaiser, he was different. It was kind of scary how nice and charming he acted towards me. Today was like most days at the festival: lively. In fact, I think the number of people here has tripled. The second week was kicking off with a banger.Martha’s booth was closed today as she wanted to mingle and chat as much as she could with people. I walked around, tried some new food, and finally came across a booth I’d seen on the flyer: Ralph’s fortune-telling booth.I don’t believe in fortune tellers, but this could be fun. I bought a ticket and went in. The aura inside was .... strange if I had to be honest. It felt like I was walking into a whole new world. Someplace th